Death comes in packs
by Aahz the Chupacabra
Summary: Sara O'Connor cursed since the age of seven, on a night she lost her father and humanity. She's hunted for vengeance and came up lacking. With the LXG's spreading reputation she hopes to find what she's been looking for since the night she lost it a
1. Prologue

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own LXG or any part of it, sorry guys I know your disappointed too.  
  
A/N: What no reviews, wait oh yeah, first chapter, no wonder. Can you remedy this situation for me?  
  
Chapter one, Prologue.  
  
A small farming village just outside of Dublin, Ireland 1881  
  
It was a warm night and there was a fog creeping over the carefully tended farmed hills, like a glove being placed lovingly over a hand, the fog was quickly devouring the land, as Frank O'Connor herded the last few sheep into the pen.  
  
It had rained the night before and the ground was slick he had little trouble pushing the gate into its slot. As he looked to the sky, he took a deep draw of breath, he thought ideally that he should hurry; it was probably going to rain again soon.  
  
He sighed and rubbed his arthritis-plagued knuckles after tying the gate shut. He was getting to old for this, he knew it, but still he kept on. He had to provide for his family, his wife Angus, and his son Thomas and his daughter Sara.  
  
He thought of his children. His son, now twelve and a growing lad, he'd shot up like a weed, his unruly red hair was in constant disarray. He was learning to farm and had an ever-growing love for nature; he was also learning to herd, just like his father and his father before him. The O'Connor's had always been a people of the land.  
  
His daughter just turned seven and, even now, she was turning out to be a lovely lass. Her messy brown hair was always kept in a braid, Angus claimed it would get tangled into knots otherwise, it was true the girl loved to spend time in the field helping out her father in anyway she could. She'd lift small bundles of barley or small bags of potatoes, more often than not she was in the way, but Frank loved seeing her out there with him. She has my eyes though, he thought. The girl's eyes even at the age of seven were sharp and intelligent, just like her father's.  
  
Frank was quickly brought out of his thoughts by the baaing of a stray sheep. Frank looked into the herd he'd just put up and realized that there were only nineteen instead of twenty. He glanced about into the fog, cursing his failing vision, he wished he had some light to see by. His wish was granted. Just coming up behind the hills, a full moon cast the eerie silhouette of a sheep standing just on the crest of a near by hill.  
  
"C'mere lassie." he cooed and took a few cautious steps in the direction of the sheep that belted in reply. "There a good lass. C'mon love." he took a few more steps forward into the fog. His attention was directed to the left at the sudden sound of a twig snapping. "What the devil?" He muttered to himself.  
  
A sudden howl caused the old man's blood to run cold. He knew that sound. It was a wolf. The sheep frantically looked in all directions, sensing a predator near by, it belted in surprise. Frank hurried up the remainder of the hill trying to get to the sheep. But with a flash of fur and fangs the sheep was gone.  
  
Gasping the old man looked around, he glanced around turning looking for the wolf. Another howl brought his attention to the right, then another at the left, then more. A pack! His mind screamed in horror and realization. He thought maybe it was a lone wolf. The pack never got this close to the cities. From behind him he heard the sound of the panicked sheep in the pen throwing themselves at the pen's walls in a desperate attempt to get out.  
  
One of the wolves stepped into the moonlight and Frank saw it for what it was. "A demon!" He cried out in terror.  
  
The thing in front of him was not a wolf it was far too massive. It stood on two legs, while the other-actual--wolves all stood back on all fours, course fur covered it's entire seven foot high body, he could see tatters of some garment hanging loosely at the things waist. Its arms were out stretched and groping for new pray the dagger like claws dancing in the moonlight thirsty for his blood. His panic stricken gaze traveled up, and up, to the wolf like head its giant gaping maw dripped with saliva and fresh blood from the sheep. One sharp, intelligent eye glared at him, the other was gone, lost in some past battle all that remained of it was a hideous scar.  
  
Frank gasped and stumbled back, away from the hellish creature standing in front of him. He squeezed his eyes shut and though of his children.  
  
***  
  
Sara O'Connor sat bolt upright in bed brought out of her sleep by a bloodcurdling scream from the night. "Papa!" The young girl gasped.  
  
It had to be him. He would be returning home, his night from the fields finished. She clambered up to the window of the bedroom, tripping over the long nightgown she wore. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that the scream had not awoken her brother. No, he still slept on, his shoulder length red hair knotted out over the pillow, and from the soft snores she heard from the adjacent room her aging mother slept on as well. So it was up to her to save her Papa. Then so be it.  
  
She pushed hard on the window trying with all her strength to get it open, it slid up an inch then another and finally it gave and the whole thing went up. Satisfied that no one had heard the groan of the wood, as it was hard pressed to open, she hitched up her nightdress and slid herself out of the window and into the fog.  
  
After several minutes of frantic running, the little girl finally reached the barn. Her grandpa had built it before she was born, and it still stood strong, a sharp contrast to the rounded hills that surrounded it. The fog and grown so thick it was almost palpable, she fought through it, waving her tiny fists at it like it was some cobweb she could brush away.  
  
"Papa?" She whispered. She got no answer. "Papa?" She said a little louder. Still nothing. Sara reached into her nightgown's pocket and pulled out a little pocketknife. The thing was small, dull and useless, but she didn't know that. All the small girl knew was that she had something to slash the bad monsters with. Not that it could have cut butter if she tried but she didn't know that ether.  
  
She heard the baaing and frantic movements of the sheep, trying to escape, trying to get out the sounds got more and more frantic, and then all at once they were gone. Sara stopped, and listened. The sounds weren't all gone. She could hear movements, footsteps, and the sound of something being dragged on the ground. She waited a moment and then that too was gone.  
  
Creeping around the corner she could hardly see anything in the fog, she turned to face the pen. There was nothing in it. Curious she crept towards it, the pen was swinging open in the wind, banging against the side, over and over and over again. She walked up to it and out of habit, closed it. Her bare foot splashed into something warm.  
  
She scowled and looked down. She couldn't see the color through the fog; if she had she would have realized it was blood and not a puddle of mud like she thought. If she knew it was blood Sara probably would have screamed like any girl her age would have. But she didn't know, didn't realize the danger she was in.  
  
She looked up as the full moon came from behind the clouds once again casting its eerie silhouettes and shadows; Sara saw a two-legged thing standing on top of a hill nearby carrying something over its shoulder. Papa, she thought excitedly. It has to be him. She raced up to it into the fog.  
  
As soon as she got in arms length of the thing she realized her mistake. And screamed. The thing standing before her was not her father. On the contrary it was carrying the mauled and mangled body of Frank O'Connor draped over one shoulder like a sack of wheat.  
  
At the sound of the little girls scream, the thing lashed out with one of its massive clawed hands and struck the poor child across the forearm slicing open her delicate skin in three long lacerations. Sara went flying; she rolled down the hill, mud covering every inch of her small body. This was a good thing for her, the mud masked her scent and the thing did not race after her, and neither did the pack, to devour her flesh and crunch her small bones as they would have if they had caught the scent of her blood.  
  
Sara made no sound as she slid down the mud-covered hill in truth she wouldn't if she was able to. When she had first landed she hit her head on a small rock, knocking her unconscious, another good thing, her body had become limb, if she had been tensed she would have done herself considerable harm tumbling down the hill. Finally she landed at the bottom, the clouds overhead picked up an all too familiar pattern and it began to rain onto Sara's unconscious, bleeding body.  
  
The next day her brother would find the pen empty and covered in the blood of the sheep. The next day her mother would awake to find the bed next to her empty. The next day they would find Sara and carry her to a doctor. The next day she would tell them what had happened. The next day would make headlines. The next week there would be a wolf hunt. The next week they would find nothing. The next month Sara would have a drastic change. 


	2. To frequentness and new friends

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize, except for Ireland, yep, that's mine.  
  
A/N: No reviews. **Sobs softly**  
  
Chapter two, To frequentness and new friends.  
  
1904 London, England  
  
The rain came down in sheets on the back streets of London. Constables grumbled in displeasure. But inside the house of Henry Jekyll, everything was as comfortable as one can be when fighting one's own inner demons.  
  
The house the mousy doctor was currently residing in, was the house the queen herself had awarded him for services rendered to the crown, a lovely two story house, a shingled roof, two chimneys, a den, a billiard room that he never used, a study, seven bedrooms, a sturdy wine cellar and a handsome library, which he was currently residing in beside the fire, in his most comfortable arm chair.  
  
He was somewhat oblivious to the rain outside other the occasional drip of the roof, which somehow the rain always found a way to slide in through. He hadn't changed much over the five years and several misadventures he'd had aboard the Nautilus, he was still nervous and somewhat jittery around people. He was however resisting admirably to his alter ego's constant screaming to be let out.  
  
Her Majesty had declared the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen an official League. For the past four years he'd roamed around the world seeing things he'd never dreamt in of seeing. He'd also experienced things that were not in his worst nightmares. For all the grander, he was glad to be back in London, even if it too was going through some drastic changes both on the outside and the in.  
  
The League was getting back together soon as it was, they'd meet at his house tomorrow, and discuss what to do from there. He was expecting them anytime now, they were always prompt if nothing else. And then there came a sudden rapping on his chamber door. That should be one of them now.  
  
Jekyll got up quickly and stretched his cramped muscles, he'd been reading for hours and his muscles had become tired. He rubbed his eyes; the gaslights of the lamps in his library did cast shadow making it hard to read in the flickering light of both them, and the fire.  
  
He threw on an over coat as he got to the door, and upon opening the door, he revealed not one of the League members as he had original thought, but a dripping woman. The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, her long brown hair was draped wet across her beautiful face, and her defiant chin was raised so that her brown eyes looked up at him expectantly, the rain still pouring down on her.  
  
"Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Henry Jekyll?" She asked still looking at him. Her accent was thick and vaguely Irish, but it was jumbled with the other tones and accents, as if she'd picked up a few on her way to his doorstep.  
  
He was at a loss for words as he looked upon this unexpected visitor. "Yes,............yes you do Miss--?" He stopped knowing her name.  
  
"O'Connor. Sara O'Connor." She held out a dripping gloved hand, and he shook it, her grip surprisingly firm.  
  
"What c-can I do for you, Miss. O'Connor?" He stuttered, still trying to figure out why she was standing there in the rain. The rain! He'd forgotten. "Oh, please forgive my manners, c-come inside." He stepped back and she walked in water dripping slow puddles on the floor. She took off the scarf and coat, both soaked, and hung them on a rack beside the door. She sneezed. "Bless you." He said out of habit.  
  
"Thank you. Please call me Sara." She said smiling at him, reviling her straight white teeth. She really did have a lovely smile. "I come here I'm afraid out of a matter of utmost urgency. A matter that I'm afraid will require the famed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."  
  
Jekyll's face fell. "I was afraid you'd say that." He said soberly.  
  
"Believe me I don't like it anymore than you do. I tried to deal with the matter myself over the past few years. But unfortunately, it's completely out of my hands." She held up her open empty gloved hands and shrugged. He could tell she was freezing, so he asked her if she would like to warm herself by the fire. She nodded politely and followed him. As he walked down the hallway, he could see Hyde's face in the reflection of the mirrors in the hallway. He was currently yelling at Jekyll for not releasing him and then began to scream at the top of his brutish lungs. Jekyll himself was hard pressed not to stop and tell him to shut up, but he thought talking to no one in front of Sara would be a bad way to start off.  
  
She however had stopped and was looking around the room. "Do you here something?" She asked still glancing about the hallway.  
  
"Excuse me?" He asked turning to face her.  
  
"Its like a high pitched wails."  
  
Hyde stopped screaming.  
  
"Never mind, it's gone." She tapped the side of her head and came up beside him. "It must have been water in my ears."  
  
"Must have been." He said and chuckled a little to himself. Hyde was silent inside of his head.  
  
They arrived at the library door that Jekyll had left open in his rush to the door. Sara's eyes went wide in amazement, there were books upon books lining the walls, handsome leather bound novels and medical journals lined the shelves. She couldn't help but smile a little, she'd always loved a good book, but circumstances as the were she usually never had a chance to read more than a few a year, better than most people did, but still she wanted to read more.  
  
She looked about the room, soft shag carpeting lined from wall to wall, she felt a pang of guilt for dripping on it. There were leather arms chairs placed around the room in corners or at small tables, there were two at the fire place itself and a small table with a bottle of Sherry in the middle. Jekyll motioned that she should have a seat, and she strode past him trying her hardest not to drip too much on his nice carpet. An old vitriolic played Mozart's Wind serenade No.12 in C minor across the room like a soft breeze.  
  
Sara settled herself awkwardly in the chair, once again trying hard not to get the red dyed leather too wet. But she already felt herself drying off; she held her gloved hands out to the fire and gave a contented sigh as she felt the material begin to warm.  
  
Jekyll watched her as he too settled in the chair opposite her, his large Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He noticed the fire playing across her haggard face; she was tired he could tell, more than likely from traveling. Her torn dress said as much, it had obviously seen better days. From looking at he could tell it had more than likely been a lovely shade of emerald when it was dry but when wet it took on the look of mud. Why didn't she take her gloves off? He pondered, and then he said as much.  
  
She looked up him like a parent would to a child who asked a silly question, like why was the sky blue, but when she answered him her eyes took a far away look and her voice was serious. "Because I might scratch someone." She said looking down at the black leather gloves she wore on each hand.  
  
"And............why would that be a problem." On this he was generally curious, he'd been scratched a few times by a human fingernail and he knew it only caused mild discomfort.  
  
"I only scratch people I intend to kill." She said it in an off hand sort of way.  
  
At the confused look on his face she elaborated. "I will not have my evil infect the world. Someone else is all ready doing that." She looked up into the fire and something moved underneath the surface of her eyes, something more than the candles flickering light.  
  
Jekyll recognized the words; he'd said something like them only five years ago. He wondered though, what her evil was.  
  
"You'd better tell your friend behind us to stop sneaking around like a common thief." She said jerking her thumb over her shoulder.  
  
Jekyll turned around in his seat and when he saw nothing but his library he realized. "Skinner." He breathed.  
  
"Aheh!" The Invisible man laughed. "So you've spotted us then?" He laughed and a chair pulled, seemingly by itself, up, a small indentation in the chairs leather surface told him the Skinner had sat down.  
  
"Smelled you." She corrected never taking her eyes off the fire, not that there was anything to see.  
  
After a moment Skinner spoke up yet again, "So the wolfies sniffed us out?"  
  
Then she glanced up and grinned her eyes flashing a distinct yellow, "Got it in one."  
  
Jekyll was still confused what did he mean. "Oy, 'enry, mind if we pour ourselves a drink, it's been a long dry trip, mate. Heh heh."  
  
He looked up startled and Sara grinned at him too, "Yes of course." he said slightly alarmed. Sara reached forward pouring three glasses of Sherry, she handed one to Jekyll who nodded politely, then another to Skinner who raised his glass in a mock toast.  
  
"To frequentness and new friends." and he downed the whole glass.  
  
"Here, here." Came the deep voiced reply from behind them. All three heads turned to face the new comer, and everyone but Sara recognized him. He was Indian by the look of him, dark hair and a long beard covered most his face. He wore an extravagant blue uniform and turban, a scimitar hung from his left hip.  
  
"Ah, c'ptn Nemo old chap, good to see you." Skinner voice laughed.  
  
"Yes, N-Nemo, a pleasure as usual." Jekyll said.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you sir." Sara said getting up out of her chair to great him.  
  
Nemo stopped and took a close look at her eyes. Sara paused and then realized what he was looking at. "Ah yes, the reason I came here." She rubbed her eyes so that they returned to their normal shade of brown. "Sara O'Connor." she held out her hand and Nemo shook it.  
  
"Good now that the pleasantries are over come and have a drink then." Skinner said and reached over Sara's chair to grab the Sherry bottle.  
  
"No thank you, Skinner, I must decline." Nemo said sternly and dragged a chair over to the fire.  
  
After everyone had sat down, and more drinks were poured, namely Skinners who's glass never seemed to be full enough, Sara looked around.  
  
"Am I correct in guess that the League is all here?" Sara asked taking a sip of her Sherry.  
  
"I'm afraid not Madame we are still missing two of our number, Mina Harker and Tom Sawyer." Nemo answered.  
  
"Present and accounted for." Came yet another voice from behind them.  
  
"As am I." Came another female voice.  
  
"Ah, so the League is set then?" Skinner's voice asked. He got no reply.  
  
Sara guessed who was who. Tom grabbed one chair and drug it over to the fire, and then another, for himself, by now all the chairs had formed a large semicircle.  
  
"Thank you Tom." Mina said and sat down sweeping her long, DRY, skirts under her. Sara felt very plain next to the woman, she plucked at her own torn skirt self-consciously then realized what she was doing and stopped. "Who are you my dear?" The woman asked as she caught sight of the only other woman in the room.  
  
Sara sighed she did hate repeating herself. "I am Sara O'Connor," she said with all the dignity she could muster while still slightly damp. She pushed her now mostly dry hair out of her face.  
  
"And what is your business here?" Mina continued.  
  
"Yes what brings you here?" Nemo asked.  
  
"I was about to ask the same thing." Tom chorused.  
  
"Personally I don't much give a damn what bring 'er 'ere." Skinner said refilling his glass. "Lovely thing that she is brightens up the room, even if she is a wolf." He took another long draw of the Sherry.  
  
All eyes turned to her. "That's what I was about to say." Sara said knowing she was under the scrutiny of very extraordinary individuals. "How does one put this?" She groped for words. "I am a werewolf." She said bluntly.  
  
"Impossible." Nemo said a bit ruffled by her statement.  
  
"Is it?" Mina said one elegant eyebrow rising.  
  
"Yeah just look who you're keeping for company." Tom said look pointedly at Skinner.  
  
Jekyll paused for a moment before speaking. "How did this happen?" He asked.  
  
Sara sighed and fell back into her seat. "It happened one foggy night- -" In a minute she finished her tale and continued with more current affairs not pausing for, comments. "After that night I discovered a month later the change that over took me on a full moon. My mother, God bless her, was a superstitious woman so on the next full moon she locked me in the cellar and fed me through a slot in the door she made. We did this every month until I was eighteen. Then I went out on my own. Looking for the monster who did this to me." She gripped the edge of the chair with a gloved hand and through the firelight everyone could see her eyes had turned yellow again. "I'd catch glimpses of him in the forests. This one remained in a wolf's state of mind when not in body. There are others out there like me. I have not seen them but I know their there. They have found a way to live with people. But there are other who couldn't for whatever reason find a way, those are the ones who run with the pack when the moon is not full. They hunt human's like themselves to populate their packs. He is the one who killed my father. He is the one I'm after, he did this to me, and he will pay." She sighed and looked into the fire. "Twelve ears I have hunted and came up lacking. I grow more and more tired of this hunt. That's when I heard of you, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the ones who were like me. I came here to ask for your help. So tell me now, will you help me rid this world of one more evil, or must I go back to Ireland, and hunt alone once more?" She looked around the room studying faces, looking for the answer she'd come to find.  
  
Surprising everyone Jekyll was the first to speak, "I will go with you." He said skittishly. Sara beamed at him.  
  
"Shucks I'll go too." Tom said slapping his knee.  
  
"As will I." Nemo said.  
  
"And I." Mina chorused.  
  
"If you blokes are going to get yourselves neck deep into trouble again you can count me out." Skinner said.  
  
"Skinner," Sawyer said sternly.  
  
The Invisible man quickly changed his mind, "Coming!" he held up his glass and everyone who had one followed suit.  
  
And then they were off regaling in stories long since past. 


	3. Location and temptation

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own LXG, but I do own Jekyll I won him in a poker game!  
  
A/N: Thank you my reviewers your beautiful! And a special thanks to these wonderful sites that helped me out so.  
  
And to All Holy Smartness: I have read many of the original books. Somehow the fact that Jekyll was a bit gay in the books (He wasn't in the movie mind you.) makes this a bit more a challenge. You are aware that this is a Fanfiction, right? I will change it to suit my fancy. This is based off the movie. Although I have read the comics, but as you can see this IS under the Movies not the Comics. I wasn't very fond of Griffin in the comics, I like Skinner just a wee bit more. Thank you for the compliments and all, please keep reading.  
  
Chapter three, Location and temptation.  
  
The storm raged on outside, thunder crashing as lightning tore the sky asunder so that night become day. The rain pounded the shingles mercilessly, and the wind howled the loan mournful wail of a ghost. But still the occupants of Dr. Henry Jekyll's home slept on. That is, all but for two.  
  
Jekyll walked down the hallway, darkened save for the flashes of light caused by the storm, but still that wasn't much to see by. He hung his head in weariness it was no use. He couldn't sleep. The temptation to drink the serum was getting worse than ever. Hyde wanted out, and that was all there was to it. He pulled his house coat a little closer to his slim form, not only from the cold draft blowing threw the house, but from the cold his blood ran, every instant he had to think of letting that monster out.  
  
It's no use, Hyde's monstrous voice echoed through his brain, as he neared the library door. You can't resist me much longer. You're weak. You're pathetic! You worm! Do you honestly think you can keep me here forever?!? You can't you know you can't, don't you? Just let me out, we'll have fun, I promise. Admit it you enjoy it when you let me out.  
  
No! Jekyll yelled in his mind. He didn't! Hyde was a monster. He hated him! He didn't want him. And yet--  
  
And yet you can't resist me. You like it when I'm out. Everyone looks at me. I'm useful. What can you do? No one looks at you. You can't do anything. You pathetic sniveling wor-- Hyde's words were cut short as Jekyll swung open the library's wooden door.  
  
Everything was as it should have been, with the exception of one person sitting with her knees drawn up in her chair, in front of the glowing fire.  
  
At the sound of the door opening Sara looked up. "Hello Henry." She said wearily, He could see the bags under her eyes. "Couldn't sleep either?"  
  
"N-no." He stuttered and walked over towards the fire.  
  
"I'm sorry for coming in here like this." She apologized. "I couldn't sleep so I went down stairs and made some tea." She gestured towards the tea tray she had on the table beside her.  
  
"It's no trouble at all." He said and sat down in the chair adjacent from her. Sara poured him a cup of the tea; he graciously accepted it, thanking her.  
  
Sara looked down at the white linen nightgown and housecoat she'd brought with her. She'd had a bath since earlier this afternoon and was feeling clean now that the mud was out of her hair. She ran a nervous hand through it; it felt soft almost like rabbit fur. Or wolf fur, a sadistic voice said somewhere in the back of her brain. "So," she began looking up, the firelight playing shadows across her face, in the distance more thunder boomed. "Why couldn't you sleep? Don't tell me it was the storm, I know it wasn't."  
  
Jekyll thought for a moment, "It was more Hyde than anything else. He wants to be let out. But I can't do that, not here, not now." He fidgeted nervously with his gold pocket watch that he always had with him.  
  
"I know what you mean, it's going to be a full moon in two days." She glanced out the back window of the library. She could see anything it was black as pitch outside. But still she looked grave, like the full moon was coming over the horizon early just to spite her.  
  
They' talked about they were going to do. Sara explained what she'd always done the past twenty-three years.  
  
***  
  
"Lock me in the cellar." She said, "Give me enough food and water for three days, and no matter what you hear down there, do not let me out until the morning of the fourth day."  
  
"But won't you be human during the day?" Sawyer had asked, he recalled the legend of a werewolf that hunted down in the Mississippi area, it was mainly to scare kids so they wouldn't sneak out at night, but that had never stopped him or Huck for that matter.  
  
"Yes, I'll be human in body, but not necessarily in mind. I still could be thinking like the monster I become at night, I may scratch or bite someone. It's safer, for all of us, for me to stay down there."  
  
***  
  
She clasped her hands, which even now, still had her black leather gloves on them. "Sometimes I think it would be easier to give in. To go back to Ireland and run with the pack." She looked into the fire like she could see the eerie woods of her homeland. "But then, I think about the night I saw my father draped across the shoulder of that monster, standing there in the mist, looking at me through that one horrible eye. And I know I could never do it." She smiled and looked up at him. "It's silly really." Her face was smiling but the lines on her face told the story of a little girl who was old before her time, a girl who had to be locked in a cold, dark cellar once a month with only the rats she ate for company.  
  
Jekyll looked up and almost involuntarily said, "No, it's not." He didn't stop to think about what he was going to say next, "You think it would be easier to give in, because it would be, but you know it's not right. And that's what makes the difference between what is right and what is easy."  
  
Sara paused for a moment, "You're right you know," she took a sip of her tea and set it down in the saucer while Jekyll looked curiously at her, "I made up my mind long ago, not to be an animal like HE is. But it's so hard sometimes, with the alternative just sitting there in front of you, mocking your hardships and trials." She sighed and rubbed her forehead; "I've spent twelve long years in failure and eleven years in indecision. And soon it maybe over." She drew her knees up to her chest and looked into the fire, "But then what? Am I just to be some animal roaming Ireland in search of a purpose?"  
  
The thunder crashed out side and rain pelted the window, "You could always stay here." Sara looked at him startled. "Y-You could be part of the League. You are after all extraordinary."  
  
She beamed at him, then her thoughts darkened, "You say that now wait five days, then we will talk more of this. But now I look for sleep that will 'knit up the raveled sleeve of care.' Henry I'm so tired, of all of this."  
  
His eyes brightened, "Shakespeare's Macbeth, correct?"  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
"I don't suppose you've seen Hamlet?"  
  
"The memory be green'" She quoted, smiling.  
  
And then they were off talking of things past, things lost, and things meant to be remembered.  
  
***Two days later***  
  
Sara walked somberly towards the wooden cellar door; her mind was already racing, yearning for the hunt. She had gotten to know the members of the League over the past two days, and she grew more and more fond of them. Henry in particular.  
  
Skinner reminded her so much of her brother Thomas, he'd b thirty- five now. She hadn't seen him in twelve years. He probably had a family now; a wife and maybe some children, she sighed, she did miss him  
  
She glanced at the door hatefully like it was the source of all her problems in this world, as everyone followed her to the cellar. They'd already put enough food and water down there for four days, just in case. Everyone one was apprehensive; the sun was only a few minutes from setting. But none more than she was, her transformations were at the best of times unpleasant. "Now remember, no matter what you hear, do NOT let me out until the dawn of the fourth day."  
  
"We understand, Miss. O'Connor." Nemo said pointedly he didn't understand why she transformed, and he didn't want to. His science had reason, and cause, her monthly transformations had no real reason that he could decipher, much like Mina, Skinner, and Jekyll.  
  
"Nemo, please, just call me Sara, Miss. O'Connor makes me sound so dreadfully old." She pulled open the old door, "Make sure you bar this or I will get through it." She bent down and placed the small bundle of clothes she had brought down with her, making sure to place her gloves on top. "Well, I'll see you all in three days." Turning around she walked down the stairs to the dirt bottom of the cellar, as she reached the final step, the door was shut, barred, and locked. All the light was blotted out and her transformation began.  
  
She screamed in agony as her skin began to crawl as the bones underneath them began to grow, and muscles developed, hair began to sprout all over her body, her face began to morph, her nose and mouth grew until they were a wolf like snout. Her teeth lengthened and sharpened. She screamed again only this time it came out as a series of painful howls through her half formed maw. Her fingers grew and nails lengthen to claws. Her clothes ripped and tore until they were nothing more than rags. The base of her spine erupted in pain as a tail grew from nothing. She cried out in an inhuman shriek and as soon as it had started it was over.  
  
She hunched down all human thoughts gone, sweat rolled off the skin underneath the fur. Then she lifted her head and sniffed the air. She smelled something, warm, something alive, something in the corner, she pounced and broke its spine and ripped at the sweet tender flesh, she ate flesh bone and marrow, all crushed easily in her massive jaws. She howled at the feeding, and rejoiced in the killing.  
  
Outside the cellar door, every member of the League tensed, as they heard the sounds that echoed up towards them. At the first sounds of the transformation, everyone remained quiet. Then as one turned to Jekyll.  
  
"I say mate, is that what your transformations are like? Because if they feel half as bad as that sounds the I owe you a great deal of respect." Skinner said tipping his hat at him. Jekyll nodded and fidgeted with his pocket watch.  
  
Sawyer whistled as the second howl was heard through the door, and Mina shook her head from side to side. Nemo however stood straight and tall taking his eyes from neither Jekyll nor the door.  
  
Suddenly there came a high-pitched squeal that was ended just as quickly with a sickening crack. Hyde's laughter echoed inside Jekyll's head: A wolf in sheep's clothing indeed.  
  
"Sounds like she got a rat." Sawyer said, "I heard one sound like that once, there was this old dog that used chase rats 'round our town, me and Huck saw it corner this big wolf rat one day. The thing pounced on it," He snapped his fingers, "just like that and broke its spine. Sounded just like that too." He looked up at Jekyll who was still fiddling with his watch, "You got any rats down their doc?"  
  
He thought for a moment, "I suppose so. It seems logical that I would have rats in my cellar." He answered.  
  
Nemo crossed his arms, "We have three days until she can be let out, and we may as well get our rest. We will be leaving in a week from today."  
  
"Always looking out for our welfare huh, caption? Heh." Skinner said sarcastically. He looked coy as he could through his grease painted face.  
  
"Still he is right." Mina mused. "We should get some rest. I don't think any of us slept well through that storm last night."  
  
"We have worse in the Mississippi." Sawyer pointed out.  
  
"Yes, but we are not there are we?"  
  
"You got me there."  
  
They all walked towards their rooms, but Jekyll cast one last glance at the cellar door before leaving.  
  
They wouldn't get much sleep in the three days that followed, the howls, growls and other unmentionable sounds echoed through out the building.  
  
***Three days later.***  
  
They all gathered round the small wooden door of the cellar. The full moon was spent, and Sara could be let out. The three days that she had been down in the cellar were peaceful, sunny and a bit cool for autumn. Mina and Jekyll spent their time in the library while Nemo and Sawyer spent their time aboard the Nautilus, as for Skinner, well who could say were he had gone to.  
  
Jekyll fumbled with the keys after unbarring the door. There wasn't a sound coming from inside the room. He turned the key and pulled open the door. Sara fell on top of him. Jekyll stumbled back under the sudden weight.  
  
Sara was worse for the wear; her cloths were in tatters, still covering most of her body but barely more than rags. Her hair was filthy and matted with sweat as was the rest of her body, which was covered in dirt from the cellar walls and floor; dirt was even jammed into her nails. She looked up at him and grinned sheepishly. There was dried blood on her lips.  
  
"I'm back." She breathed heavily. "May I please have a glass of water," then she was asleep.  
  
He eased to the floor, sliding her from his shoulder, but still holding her in his arms. Mina descended on the both of them, checking her pulse, breathing, and forehead for fever. She had a slight one but that was more than likely from lack of sleep. The she tisked over her dirt covered body and announced she was going to give her a bath. Sawyer helped her carrying her, and the pile of clothes near the door.  
  
"Be careful of her fingernails, don't let them scratch you." Mina warned.  
  
"I'm careful." He snorted back.  
  
After they had disappeared down the hallway, Jekyll, Nemo and Skinner were left.  
  
"Well," Skinner said clearing his throat. "She was a right state."  
  
"That was to expected, she did spend three days in a darkened cellar." Nemo said logically.  
  
"Yes. I suppose you'd be dirty to." Jekyll said rubbing his hands together.  
  
"Not that you'd see it." He joked tipping his hat back, "Well ifin you'll 'scuse me gents I'll be off now." He dropped the hat and took off his coat and was gone--literally.  
  
Not two minutes later when Sawyer had rejoined the two others, they heard Mina's voice call out in rage. "SKINNER GET OUT OF HERE! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON AND IF I EVER CATCH YOU IN THE BATHROOM AGAIN I'LL HAVE YOU BLOOD!" Then there was a smack, a thud and the sound of bare feet slapping tile, then a slamming door.  
  
"Well, it's not like its that big of a fuss!" Skinner yelled back. "I walk around naked all the time!"  
  
The door opened and there was the sound of breaking glass, another thud and then the door slamming.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Skinner came to join them, fully clothed and with his greasepaint mask on. There was however three noticeably lumps on his face.  
  
**The next day**  
  
Sara came to join them in the library and took her accustomed chair by the fire. She felt clean, refreshed, and for the first time in a long while contented. She stretched, as she settled herself in comfortably. "Good day all."  
  
"Good day to you Miss---Sara." Nemo caught himself; he looked up from his map. "We will be leaving when the sun sets, I trust you are ready?"  
  
"Yes, Tempus fugit et nos fugimus in illus." She said wearily.  
  
Mina, Nemo and Jekyll nodded, but Sawyer and Skinner looked at her dumbfounded, so she elaborated, "It's Latin, it means: Time Flies and we fly with it."  
  
"I must ask you, what is our direct course in Ireland, where shall we begin our search?" Nemo asked, brooding once again over his map. Sara sighed, she was hard pressed to get up, and trundled over to the table were the map was laid out, the four corners were waited down with clear glass weights.  
  
She brooded over the map Nemo style for a moment before pointing to the mid south, "That is our destination, Captain, County Tipperary, I tracked the wolf man as far as there. My guess is that when he attacked my home, he was sweeping the country and finally settled there." She paused for a moment and brooded, "From what I gathered he's got a whole pack with him."  
  
At this Mina looked up from her medical journal, "A pack of wolves or werewolves?"  
  
Sara marked the spot on the map with a small marble, and walked over to her own small carpet bag, she rummaged through it for a moment, sifting clothes and odds n' ends, until she found a small red, leather bound, weatherworn journal. She walked over to her accustomed seat next to the fire and flipped through it for a few moments, coming never the end, she read for a moment. "From what I can tell no. I don't exactly remember. The day I wrote this was the first day of the full moon. After that, I set off to come here. And thus here I am."  
  
"How can we best guard against becoming a werewolf ourselves?" Nemo asked knowledgably.  
  
"Wear long sleeves." Sara said sheepishly. 


	4. Explanations

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it! **Softly sobs**  
  
A/N: I'd like to thank my reviewers and the site  
  
Without it I'd be lost!  
  
Chapter four, Explanations.  
  
Sara's mouth hung loosely somewhere near the floor in awe, the Nautilus rose up out of the clammy water of London's harbor like a breaching whale, up and up it went like a climbing tower, it shaper loomed over them.  
  
But the conning tower was just the tip of the great vessel. High, long, and elegant with beautiful seafaring lines, the submersible surfaced majestically, splitting the surface of the water. Around the ship was encrusted the statues of Nemo's god's Shiva, Ganesh, and Vishnu.  
  
Nemo, though he didn't show it, was pleased with her reaction. She knew genius when she saw it. She was even more impressed when she was lead onto the amazing vessel, holding tight to her small carpetbag. The hallways were lavishly furnished and decorated. Light and dark blue paint lined the walls, small tables holding vases of flowers and small busts of extraordinary people were placed sparsely across the hallways. She tried her best not to gawk, hard times had made her appreciate the finer things in life, but she was failing miserably.  
  
Then she got to her room. The walls were painted the green color of living things, a full bed sat in the middle of the room, a white down comforter spread across it. She sunk down onto the feather soft bed relishing the feeling of it on her back. She sighed lustfully on the bed, and hugged one of the pillows to her. She was on her way home, back to Ireland. She'd only been away a month, but she felt the vacancy of the island in her heart. She'd been up and down the island in her hunts, heard rumors, legends, wives tales, scientific points, everything.  
  
She caught movement near the small desk and table occupying one corner. "Skinner." She breathed, "I can smell the Sherry on your breath."  
  
"Aheh!" skinner laughed and presumably came and stood in front of her. "Nemo says 'e wants us all in for a council of war er something like that. Blokes always been too serious."  
  
Sara sighed and looked through him, "I'll be down in a moment."  
  
"Right then see you there, luv."  
  
Sara wanted until the sounds of his bare footsteps had faded away before getting up. She yawned as she clomped down the hallway. She came to the room marked MEETING. Unfortunately there was a broom propped up on the door. She grumbled and slouched down in front of it. She waited, and waited, and waited until finally Jekyll made his way down the hall. After seeing her he got jittery again. "Hello Sara." He mumbled. "Aren't you going in?"  
  
She looked at him woefully, "I'd love to Henry, but as you can see, SOMEONE," she knew it was Skinner. "Put a broom on the door." She growled.  
  
He looked at her quizzically, "Why with this be a problem?"  
  
Her looked was like a poisoned apple, "Because my dear, dear doctor, I cannot cross brooms, because I am a werewolf. Would you please be a love and move it?"  
  
He reached out and took hold of the broom, the second it was gone she jumped up and snatched open the door, she charged into the meeting room and too a long sniff of the air. "Skinner," She snarled "when I get my hands on you I'll-"  
  
"Aheh!" The invisible man laughed, "Take no offense, I jus wanted to see if it would work."  
  
"Well it did!" She snarled.  
  
"Um, heh, does that bit with the seeds work?" he asked.  
  
"NO!" She yelled, and then realized everyone was watching her. "Um, sorry about the outburst. It's just, he-"  
  
Nemo raised a hand. "It is all right, behavior like that is accepted when directed at Skinner."  
  
"Hey!" Skinner yelled indignantly.  
  
"Can we please behave ourselves and get down to business?" Mina demanded.  
  
"Sure luv, but only for you." Skinner said suggestively, she scoffed and he pulled up a seat next to her and Sawyer.  
  
Sara sat down next to Jekyll so that she was in the center. "Now I suppose this will be about werewolves?"  
  
"Correct." Nemo said. "We would like to know what we will be dealing with."  
  
"Alright, shoot."  
  
Mina began. "Do you only turn into a werewolf on the full moon?"  
  
Sara sighed. "No." They gapped at her, "In real werewolves a physical change to wolf form does occur. The change can be voluntary, or can be forced by the full moon and certain sounds such as howling. Though when it is just a howl I can fight it off easily. I have never turned voluntarily, and I do not intend to start." They nodded accepting this for now.  
  
Sawyer next. "How do you kill 'em?" He asked boldly.  
  
"Werewolves are immune from aging and from most physical diseases due to the constant regeneration of their physical tissue." She said scientifically, "They can, therefore be virtually immortal. However, any wound that destroys the heart or the brain, or any form of death that causes brain or heart damage such as hanging or other oxygen-deprivation methods can kill them. Silver also, we are weak when it comes to anything silver. A broom across the door will hold us back. We cannot cross it. I have never figured out why exactly."  
  
Then Jekyll: "W-what about packs?"  
  
At this Sara drew a long breath, "This will take a while. Like real wolves, werewolves can live alone for many years, yet the instinct for a pack often leads them away from their secretive lifestyle, into revealing their nature to a priest or close associate, or converting another to werewolf for companionship." She looked down at the arm that had been racked with claws long ago, "This is when the otherwise cagey werewolf opens himself to detection! Werewolf packs cause immense destruction. A pack consists of one werewolf who became a werewolf through sorcery, birth, or curse - in other words; his is the original tainted blood. This werewolf is called the Alpha werewolf. The remaining werewolves in the pack are called Beta werewolves because they became werewolves through the bite of the Alpha and carry the Alpha's tainted blood. I myself am a Beta wolf."  
  
Jekyll spoke again, "What is the relationship between alpha and Beta?"  
  
Sara sighed, "Another long one, the relationship between Alpha and Beta werewolves is a complex one. Once a werewolf bites a subject, his or her life and death are doomed to the werewolf curse. The victim does, however, have some hope - as long as they themselves do not taste of human blood, the curse is reversible. If the Alpha werewolf is killed - through some action of the Beta - the Beta's curse is broken. It is important to note that whether the Beta werewolf was bitten by the Alpha werewolf himself or by another Beta, it is the Alpha who must be destroyed - the source of the original tainted blood. It is also an interesting note that since Betas and Alphas share common blood, an Alpha cannot physically harm a Beta of his own bloodline by his own hands without inflicting the same injury upon himself. However, if a Beta is harmed or killed by another, it does not affect the Alpha." Her eyes darkened, "In other words He will not come after me himself, he'll send someone else to do it."  
  
Nemo next. "What about eating humans?"  
  
"A person who becomes a werewolf against his will birth, curse, or bite is not completely damned until he tastes of human blood. Once he does, his soul is eternally damned and nothing may redeem him. Even without tasting of human blood, however, as long as the taint lies upon the immortal soul, it cannot enter Heaven, and will remain chained to the mortal plane upon death. I have never tasted human blood, if that is what you are wondering." Mina looked slightly disturbed by what she had said, but other than that fast flicker of emotion there was nothing.  
  
Sawyer spoke up again, "How can we tell if a person is a werewolf or not?"  
  
"Your biggest clues will come through your suspects personalities. Becoming a werewolf is not transparent, no matter how the victim tries to hide it. The tainted, sub-human blood appearance. Look for symptoms in your human suspects that include increasing violence, increasing aggression, unprovoked rages, insomnia, restlessness, and other odd behavior. Unfortunately, over time these symptoms can be brought under control, so do not rely on them exclusively." She answered all their questions indifferently, somehow when she spoke in a scientific point of view; it seemed like maybe it didn't affect her. Like she was somehow immune from it all.  
  
"Like your little fit just now?" Skinner teased.  
  
"Yes, just like that." She raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't test that again if I were you."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Skinner questioned.  
  
"Twenty long years of research." She said and rubbed the back of her neck tiredly.  
  
"Anything else we should know?" Mina asked.  
  
"Yes, a true wolf while in wolf form, there has been some proof that the werewolf retains enough knowledge to assist his killing; recognition of victims, evasion of traps, and human cunning, I have seen it all while I have tracked him."  
  
Everyone regarded her for a moment, after her revelation that she could change voluntarily, they'd be more careful. It was common knowledge that werewolves could be killed with silver that is why Nemo had given them all small silver daggers, just in case. Sara knew about them, she could smell the silver, but she didn't say anything. Let them think what they wanted. She didn't care as long as they helped her.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I would like to get some sleep, I'm still awfully tired." She declared rising from her chair, as she walked past Jekyll though, she didn't catch the tainted smell of silver on him. She smiled to herself as she walked down the hallway. At least someone trusted her. 


	5. Temptation

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own LXG but I've seen the movie, read the book based off of the screenplay (sorry all ya'll but Huck is DEAD in the book) and read (not bought) the comics. I think I'm somewhat entitled to s lousy fanfiction, don't ya'll?  
  
A/N: Due to my latest review (Shadowcat832) I have decided to rush getting Hyde into the story, I was trying my best to save it for later, but this review has pushed me past temptation, so I've decided to due it now.  
  
Chapter five, Temptation.  
  
Sara paced the long hallways of the Nautilus, mumbling to her self, this place was lovely but too small to cramped, she needed t get out, she needed to run, run with the pack-NO! She wouldn't.  
  
"I won't. I can't." She mumbled. I need to. Need to hunt. Need to run. Run. RUN! A voice screamed in her head. "NO!" she yelled, and startled Jekyll who was coming down the same passage as she, mumbling to himself as well. He jumped a little.  
  
"Sara, what's wrong?" He asked coming up in front of her.  
  
She looked up at him somewhat meekly the thoughts retreated somewhere to the back of her brain at the sight of another human. "Nothing I'm fine." She didn't realize she had broken into a sweat.  
  
"You don't look fine." He said cupping her chin in his hand; with his other hand he felt her forehead.  
  
"Thanks." She said sarcastically. He looked at her puzzled, and then came back to himself; he'd lost himself in his duty as a doctor for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled.  
  
"No it's alright Henry, I'm just feeling a little bit of cabin fever." She sighed, and they both began to walk side by side.  
  
Yes Henry, so am I let me out, do you here me?! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!  
  
"There it goes again." She said looking at Jekyll.  
  
"Pardon?" He asked.  
  
"That high pitched wailing."  
  
Heh! So she can here me, can she? Well let's see how well. The Hyde screamed a loud inaudible howl.  
  
"AH!" Sara screamed and clapped her hands over her ears. "STOP IT!" She yelled and began to hunch down. Her body began to shift, as if the bones beneath it were breaking and reforming. "NO! HENRY RUN!" She managed to yell, as hair began to sprout over her face.  
  
"STOP IT HYDE!" Henry yelled to the open air behind him. "Stop it and I'll let you out!"  
  
He stopped. Break your word Henry and I'll do it again.  
  
"No I won't just stop!" He called.  
  
Sara gasped for breath, sucking in the air as if it was going to leave her forever. She'd only been in the beginning stages of transforming, but she was covered in sweat and was exhausted. "Henry what was that?" She asked, trying to stand up.  
  
"Hyde." He said, he reached down and pulled Sara up, she kicked one leg out and it popped. She gripped Jekyll's arm so much he thought the circulation was gone.  
  
"Sometimes, things are dislocated when that happens." She managed through gritted teeth.  
  
"What happens?"  
  
"When a transformation is forced like that and I try to fight it off." She lipped beside him careful of her right leg. "Now explain to me what Hyde was doing." That was not a question.  
  
"He wants out, so he started I think howling is the word."  
  
"And you just said you'd let him out."  
  
"It was the only thing I could think of," he said sheepishly.  
  
"How do you intend to do it?" She asked. There were footsteps in the corridor ahead of him. They'd both expected that, someone was bound to hear the yelling.  
  
"Well, when I was first brought on this ship, they chained Hyde in a freezer. I could do that again." The forms of some of Nemo's men came round the corner, Nemo himself in the lead.  
  
"What happened?" He demanded, looking form the limping form of Sara to Jekyll.  
  
"Hyde happened." She growled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Remember when I said that my transformations could be, shall we say, sound activated?" She asked choosing her words carefully.  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Well Hyde found a way."  
  
"You didn't--"  
  
"No, Nemo, I didn't."  
  
"But it came at a price."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hyde wants out." She said.  
  
** An hour later.**  
  
Sara sat on top of a crate inside a huge freezer near the back of Nemo's vessel. She rubbed her arms a little, and Nemo's men cleared the room. She was safely out of harms reach; the chains wouldn't reach as far off as she was. Skinner was sitting in the room with her, sipping out of a hip flask. He'd said something about Hyde being able to see him, some sort of heat vision. He said it was a pleasant change, and he wanted to talk to Hyde about it.  
  
The small form of Henry Jekyll was huddled under the weight of the huge chains, it looked as if he were about to collapse under the weight at any moment. He raised a shaking hand that held a vial of his formula, and downed it in one gulp. Then the transformation began. Skin bubbled, and course hair grew. Sara did not take her eyes away for a moment. Seeing someone else's body sift the way she knew hers did was odly fascinating. The thing in front of her not yet Hyde, and less Jekyll screamed in pain. And then as soon as it had began it was over, and the towering form of Edward Hyde loomed over the woman and the Invisible Man.  
  
"Hello Edward!" Skinner called cheerily, raising his flask of whisky.  
  
"Skinner." The man grunted. "Your burns still have scars."  
  
"Yep, somehow being invisible aint so bad a fate anymore. Heh." his face painted twisted up into a sad smile, and Sara looked closely she could see the outline of scars.  
  
Sara kept quiet through out their banter but she noticed Hyde's eyes kept darting over to her quickly. She just sat back and listened to them. Feeling a bit sorry for herself. At least HE was able to think. She did retain some control over herself when she changed, though not nearly enough to even think about being truest. She didn't know about how much control she would have if she ever changed voluntarily, but she wasn't willing to test it.  
  
"Sara, Sara old girl." Skinners voice called.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry I was thinking, what?"  
  
"I asked you, which do think is better for keeping out the cold. Whiskey, or scotch?"  
  
"Hmm," she thought for a moment, wondering how the question had come up at all, Ireland did tend to get cold in the winter, what had her father always drank, lets see, he'd go out in the fields, rub his hand, take a sip of his flask and say, 'Thank the Lord for--"Whiskey." She declared. "Father used to always drink it, when ever he went out. And I've had it when I used to track in the mountains."  
  
"Heh." Skinner said. "See told you." She sneered.  
  
"What does a thing like you know of tracking?" Hyde asked.  
  
"Enough to track a werewolf who knows he's being followed." She said folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"Heh, never hunted werewolves, sounds like good sport. "He laughed to himself.  
  
"If you want to end up like me." She said and her eyes began to glow yellow, she growled a little to herself, but fought it down. It wasn't her getting mad it was the beast within her.  
  
"Hrm, no I don't suppose Henry would like that much." he mused to himself.  
  
"Since when do you care?" Sara asked, "You were careless enough to almost have him trapped in a small space with a werewolf. I'm not sure you realize this, but if I tear out his throat, you'll die as well."  
  
"I know!" He snarled and tried to jump forward.  
  
"Children! Children!" Skinner said trying to calm them, but it was too late, both animal rages had been brought to the surface.  
  
"You don't think I'm haunted day and night with the fact that I'm just in that worm's mind! That if he wasn't so weak I'd never experience the light of day, or the darkness that eats everything?!" He was struggling to get at her, but the chains held her back. Sara had full rage on, she'd gotten up and had her white gleaming teeth bared, her eyes flashing a brilliant gold now. The only thing holding her back was common sense.  
  
"He is not a worm!" She snarled. "My life is none the easier I know what it is like to loose yourself in a transformation! I've been on the run all my life because of something I didn't do!! I've been a heretic since I was seven!"  
  
"If these chains weren't holding me back!" he yelled threateningly.  
  
"THEY ARE NOT! I know you could break them!"  
  
Skinner took a step back, and to his surprise, Hyde grinned showing his yellowed crooked teeth. "Heh, so you are as smart as that wor--Henry, thinks you are."  
  
She sat back down, Skinner was lost, he had no idea what's going was going on. "'Old on a moment. A minute ago you were at each others 'roats and now its all sherry and giggles."  
  
Sara looked at him like the answer was written on his face, everyone else could read it, but he couldn't, "Sometimes it helps to yell problems, you should know that."  
  
"Well excuse me for tryin' to act dignified."  
  
She laughed, "Hey now who's the lady, me or you?"  
  
"To be quite honest, I'm not sure anymore luv." He tilted his hat down so that it covered the huge grin on his face, "Would you care to remind me a bit?"  
  
"Skinner, from what I heard you've already seen me with out clothes."  
  
"Oh yeah!" He said remembering, he grinned at her and winked mischievously, "Good times, good times."  
  
"For you maybe, I was out cold."  
  
"Well I usually walk around for all to see."  
  
"Yes, but nobody can."  
  
"Touché" 


	6. Landing

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
  
A/N: School has started so the chapters will come a little bit slower, but they will still come! I'd like to think the site: oh and Elf-locks are really bad knots in your hair.  
  
Chapter six, Landing  
  
"We are coming into port." Nemo said, he was standing at the helm, the exotic blue of his outfit, mixed well with the ocean background. He had his arms crossed behind his back and looked militaristic. "We should be unloaded within the hour."  
  
"That doesn't matter there's still all that way to go until we reach Tipperary, we still have to go through Water Ford, and then stop someplace and ask around for recent activity."  
  
"Patience is a virtue." He said not turning around.  
  
"Well I've never been virtues." She mumbled under her breath.  
  
He turned an inch, "Pardon?"  
  
"Nothing, I think I know a place to stop just eight miles outside of Tipperary, the remains of Moor Abbey, on the farm of Mr. James Quirke." She thought, "Yes that would work there is a pub near there called the Homestead, people are in and out form Tipperary and everywhere else you can think of. Most of them will be drunk enough to give us any information we could want."  
  
"Yes, but could we trust the word of a drunken man?" His voice was full of weary skepticism, she could tell he had raised an eyebrow eyen though he hadn't turned around.  
  
"If you can't trust a drunk Irishmen then who can you trust?" She shrugged, "I'm going to get my bag, I'll be back in a moment with the precise coordinates for our trek, mon capiton." She saluted and stepped out.  
  
She could hear Nemo's gruff chuckle once he thought she was out of earshot. That man never let any hint of emotion show, when there were others around. Though she couldn't really fault him for it.  
  
She hummed a simple tune as she strolled lazily down the decorated corridor. She passed Tom as he bustled down the hallway, Skinner in tow. "What's he done now?" She asked.  
  
"For once nothing." Skinner said smiling, "We were just on our way to see the ol' caption."  
  
"He's at the helm, I'm going to get my bag. I'll be joining you all shortly." She did a most lady like bow and walked off humming. Soon she came upon Jekyll.  
  
"Hello Henry." She said cheerily. "Everyone else is at the helm, that is I assume Mina's on her way there."  
  
"Yes, I was just now going there." he said not making eye contacts.  
  
She walked a bit closer, off set by the fact that he seemed so fascinated with the floor. "Here now, what is the matter, Henry? Or have you fallen madly in love with Nemo's superb flooring?"  
  
A blush began to creep up the nervous mans neck. She tried her best not to smile. "N-no, it's not that. I mean it is good flooring and all." He began to mutter away inaudible about flooring he'd seen on the ship to France.  
  
"Henry." She said trying to interrupt his nervous banter. He continued on like he hadn't heard her. "Henry." She said more forcefully and he looked up.  
  
"Yes?" He asked and reached into his pocket, she couldn't see it but she knew he was fiddling with his watch.  
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
"Nothing." he said.  
  
"Come on now, you don't expect me to believe that?"  
  
"I don't know wh--"  
  
"Tell me what's the matter. Or do I have to force it out of you?"  
  
He gulped his large Adam's apple bobbing. "I--its just that............that you've---you've seen Hyde now and, well..............." He couldn't seem to get the words out at first, "You must think I'm a monster." He said softly and looked away not wanting her to see the shame on his face.  
  
She took a moment to register what he had said, and began to laugh. She soon found she couldn't stop, she threw her head back and laughed so hard she had tears coming to her eyes. Then she doubled over and hiccupped. The doctor watched all this startled. He'd been prepared for almost anything, at least he though he had been. "He--Henry!" She managed through the last few laughs. "I don't think you are a monster!"  
  
"You--you don't?" He asked skeptically.  
  
"Of course not!" she took a step forward. "Why would you ever think that?" she asked genuinely concerned. She knew that he had low self-esteem but to think, that he thought that she would ever have such an absurd notion. He looked uncomfortable and didn't seem to want to answer. She shook her head disdainfully. "I would never think that. You're a good man. Hyde may be a bit," She waved her hand in the air looking for the right word, "off." she decided was the right word, then continued, "But no worse than I am."  
  
"No." he began.  
  
"Yes, I am. So is the man who did this to me. Neither you nor Hyde, and I know you can hear me, Hyde. Will ever do anything to make you anymore of a monster than I am." She sidled up to him and put one arm over his shoulder. "Don't think on it, alright? We have a saying in Ireland, 'Sing as if no one is listening, dance as if no one is watching and live each day as if it were you last.'" She turned to face him and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek that stopped the man in his tracks. "Go on, I'll see you in a moment."  
  
She turned around and walked down the rest of the way to her room, not looking over her shoulder. If she had she would have seen the Jekyll hadn't moved, and he was watching her disbelievingly as she continued down the hallway. Hyde didn't even have anything to put in.  
  
**A few hours later.**  
  
"I'm not sure this is the best mode of transportation." Sara said as she was jostled into Skinner when the 'automobile' jumped as it hit more mounds and bumps in the road.  
  
"Maybe not." Nemo said, "But it is the fastest."  
  
He was right Sara could see the fog race by, and the trees flashes, as they zoomed into the night. She was slightly afraid to be in this contraption. Truth be told she had a slight case of claustrophobia, and the air they were breathing was damp, stale and unpleasant. Sara resigned to the fate of being scrambled like an egg. She rested her head against the slit like window of Nemo's creation as best she could.  
  
She would much rather be walking in the dew soaked landscape of Water Ford. She wasn't tactically familiar with this area, she'd been through it once, but after her first sweep across the Emerald Isle she'd mostly stayed in Tipperary.  
  
She had, however, been to the Homestead frequently, when a trail went cold, or she got lost completely. It was a prime spot really, if HE wanted to leave, he'd have to pass close enough to the farmland so that the temptation for a fresh kill would be too much, even for someone of his age.  
  
None of the farmers ever thought the disappearance of cattle was ever attributed to their own error. Bless them, even if they were a bit inclined to bigotry now and again. Her back stiffened ever so slightly as the shadows of the past crept into her mind's eye. Then she realized something,  
  
"Make sure you park this far enough so that it is not in plain view of the pub." Nemo had no need to be told this twice. He was aware of Ireland's superstitious people. "There is a sparse wooded area near by, if memory serves. You should have enough room to park there." She looked down at the red leather seat she was sitting on as the car bumped over a pothole, and decided that she would never get use to this dreadful thing. She sniffed the air and said disdainfully, "The air has turned stale, it is getting harder and harder to breath."  
  
"That can be fixed." His voice said from the front.  
  
Oddly enough Sawyer flipped a switch and the roof lifted suddenly from over their heads. Sara yelped and looked up thinking the roof was going to fly off completely. She heard Skinner beside her laugh heartily at her reaction. She scowled at him.  
  
Then she felt the air rushing past her face, like a cool hand rubbing a cool, damp cloth across her face. The night raced by, sights, sounds, smells, everything. Maybe she had misjudged this wonderful thing. She leaned an elbow over the side, and rested her head in the nest her arms had created. "That's better." She sighed contentedly. "Thank you."  
  
Skinner held tight to his hat when the roof was removed, and Mina was trying her bets to keep her dark auburn hair in its proper place. Sara herself didn't care much, this felt wonderful anyway you looked at it. Her own brown hair whipped her face, it stung a little, but it was quickly lost in the ecstasy of the air that flew by.  
  
Nemo himself was pleased that the roof worked just as well when his creation was running, just as it did when it was not.  
  
Tom was pleased that he'd remembered where the switch was. He had discovered it quite by accident the first time he'd driven this thing. Was it really all that long ago, he asked himself. Yes, that's right I remember, Allan couldn't drive this, I remember. Then he looked forward and thought about how many times he'd had a chance to drive it since them, he didn't say anything for a long time.  
  
Mina was getting rather uncomfortable trying to keep her hair in place, and was slouched down in the seat, muttering darkly. Sara smiled a little at this, Mina was always such a high class, polite, Victorian lady. Sara had been raised by the land, for the land. She did try to act all prim and proper. Her mother had always been scolding her saying, 'Just because you are an animal, doesn't mean you have to act like one.'" She always said it in good humor, and it had always made her smile.  
  
She felt a pang somewhere in her abdomen. She missed her mother, her brother and her home. Sara rubbed her eyes forcefully into her arm, now was not the time for worrying about that.  
  
It had after all been twelve years, why couldn't she forget it? Sara recalled the day she left home. The night before she had hugged her mothers a little longer. By any ones standards she was a woman now, and that meant she had to take care of her own business. So she had left a note for her mother, vowing to return the moment she'd lifted the curse she'd been living with, and then left in the night. She wondered now if she had done the right thing, maybe she had and maybe she hadn't, she'd never know. Then she felt something squeeze her shoulder, she looked behind her and saw that Skinner was smiling sadly at her.  
  
"Feelin' homesick luv?" He asked, he'd taken off his hat and was sitting on it to keep it from blowing away.  
  
"Yes, it's been a long, long time since I saw my mother, or my brother. I miss them so much." She looked back out into the night.  
  
"How long exactly?" Mina asked curiously.  
  
"Twelve years. I told my mother I wouldn't return until this curse had been lifted, and soon it will be." She didn't say she'd left home, just leaving a note, somehow it felt like she'd been too weak to say a proper good by. "Then, I can return. I bet Thomas has got a family by now. He was always so handsome and clever, I'm suppose the only reason he wasn't is because I was there. Bad blood you know. But now that I'm gone who knows." She shrugged her shoulders. She knew she was the reason none of the girls would have a thing to do with her charming brother.  
  
"Forgive me," Mina began blinking, "is Thomas your brother?"  
  
"Yes, Tom reminds me of him quite a bit, but a different accent." She smiled, "And the famous Ireland carrot red hair." She smiled. "It was so curly when we were little, it used to get leaves strung in it, he'd have the worst elf-locks anyone had ever seen."  
  
"Was he your older brother?" Tom asked turning around when she mentioned his name.  
  
"Yes," She thought a moment. "Let me see he'd be thirty-five now."  
  
Everyone looked at her, "Heh heh, 'suse me Sara but you never did disclose your age to us."  
  
"I'm thirty, why does it matter?"  
  
"No not a bit, just wonderin'" He said and began to twiddle his thumbs.  
  
Sara thought on her appearance for a moment. "Ah yes, I don't look that old to I."  
  
"Twenty-five." Skinner blurted out suddenly. "Just sayin', I'm wonderin' if all the woman who join the league are gonna be this ageless." He turned to face Mina. "You gals have all the luck."  
  
"What are you talkin' Skinner, no one can even see you." Tom said.  
  
"Too right, and I intend to keep it that way." He stiffened in his seat.  
  
"Excuse me." Nemo's sharp voice cut into the would be argument like a knife, "We have arrived." 


	7. Passions dwell in shadows

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it sorry, I know ya'll are disappointed too.  
  
A/N: Thanks Shadowcat, I always look forward to your reviews, and thank you Just Me, the cavalry has arrived! ^__^  
  
Chapter seven, Passions dwell in shadows.  
  
Sara walked in front of the small crowd that was the League, leading them to the bright red door that entered into the pub. "I must warn you." She said a light in her eyes. "It's not what you are expecting." She opened the door, and light streamed out into the darkness.  
  
The sound of a fiddler playing a fast cheerful song filled their ears, singing and shouting, the smell of roasting meat and fresh beer, the brightly colored garbs of the Irishmen and woman swam by in a sea of senses. Sara took a deep breath, "I'm home." She said with as much emotion her voice would allow, and stepped into the light. Her own multi colored skirts mixing in with the rest.  
  
The bar wasn't all that magnificent save for the circular high-beamed roof over head, which ribbons and bits of colored glass hung down from. The gaslight streamed through the colored cloth and glass so that the colors mixed in with the dancers like will-o-wisps.  
  
The rest of the group followed Sara. Skinner with his hat bowed low, was wearing his coat, and a suit underneath it, he'd put a pair of gloves on and an extra layer of grease paint, along with his tinted glasses, he looked like an old fashions opera star. He looked on to the merriment, and was reminded of the pubs he used to frequent in his visible days.  
  
Mina and Nemo came in side by side both wearing the same expression of skepticism. Sawyer came in after them smiling broadly, he'd wanted to go to a good party for a while; this was killing two birds with one stone. Two pretty Irish women giggled when they saw him and waved. Or maybe three. He tipped his hat at them cocking a grin, and the erupted in giggles. Jekyll came in last, timidly looking around as if he was ready to bolt at any moment. He crept along side of everyone else like a shadow, not getting to close to the dancers.  
  
"SARA!" A deep voice called from behind the bar. A large man was the owner of said voice, he was huge, easily six feet tall, with long curly blond hair that tailed down to his back, with sparkling green eyes.  
  
Anyone looking at him could see the Norwegian Viking in his background, and from the green eyes it looked as if at least one of his relatives were native. The man was currently filling three flagons full of foaming beer on a tray, "Hold still lass, I'll be witcha ye' in a moment. AMIE!" he bellowed into the throng, and like magic a curly pretty little red head woman appeared, wearing a blue peasant dress and matching white apron. She deftly scooped up the heavily laden tray one handed and promptly disappeared again.  
  
Sara was molding into the crowed like she was a part of the other people, her colors mixing into the rest. The rest of the group had to try and have path made for them, as best they could.  
  
"Kenny!" Sara shrilled happily when she got to the oaken bar, "I haven't seen you in ages." she examined his for a moment, "I see your doing well." she didn't need him to tell her, the large crowd here tonight was enough to feed and operated the pub for the next month.  
  
"Aye girl, and how have ye been doin'" He asked and began to wipe down the bar. "Ye' haven't been in fer some time now."  
  
"Well, I brought a whole crowd with me thins time." She gestured for everyone to come forward. "This is Nemo, Tom, Mina, Skinner, and Henry." She said everyone nodded.  
  
"Friends?" He asked cracking his knuckles.  
  
"Yes Kenny."  
  
"Good, pull up a seat all of ye', an' ye'll be havein' a drink then? On the house o'course." He winked at Sara, "Any friend of Sara's is a friend of mine." His voice sounded like warm thunder as he chuckled while he poured them all a full, foaming cups. Sara took hers graciously, as did Skinner and Tom. Mina and Nemo however shook theirs away saying they didn't want them. But when he came to Jekyll he looked the mousy man up and down once.  
  
"Ye're not a heavy drinker are ye?" he asked cocking a bushy blond eyebrow at him.  
  
Jekyll looked up startled that he had been asked a question. "N-no." he stuttered, and fidgeted nervously.  
  
Kenny took a breath as if to say something, but Sara cut him off, "Don't say it Kenny, if Henry doesn't want the drink, he doesn't want it all right?" her voice held the dark hint of a threat, though she didn't look up from the cup.  
  
He exhaled dramatically rubbing the back of his neck, he smiled crookedly at her, slightly ashamed, "Fine, fine lass." then he leaned in closer and said, "What is the real reason ye're here, I know ye' now, ye would ne come ifin' ye did na have a problem."  
  
"Actually," She said softly, "I'm looking for information." She leaned closer and whispered something to him. The Viking man looked at her gravely and nodded understanding.  
  
"Aye, I heard somethin' about tha' this morning, the ol' man is still here, I'll warrant." He looked through the crowd and bellowed, "McKarther! C'mere!"  
  
An old man came stumbling out of the crowd, his graying hair in disarray, one side of his shirt was tucked in nicely, the other was hanging out, stain told the tale of a meal earlier in the day. He was obviously drunk. He stumbled up to the bar and slammed himself down next to Sara. "What da ye' want Kenny?" He demanded his word slurring so bad in his thick accent it was hard to make them out.  
  
"Tell me again about the thing you saw in the woods a month ago." He said innocently.  
  
The man's expression changed from drunken anger to delight at the prospect of sharing his tales of woe with the bartender and the listens with in earshot. "AYE! The wolf-man! Terrifin' he was, all wolf-like an' such!" From where she was sitting Sara could smell the beer on his breath. "I was up'in near Holycross! What a place to see the likes of him! Near the Abbey bridge I was tendin' to my flock and then," His eyes grew huge, "a whole lotta um' came out as it were! From the woods, took the whole flock they did! I was lucky ter get outta der alive I was!" He waved his hands blindly in the air like he was fending off some invisible foe. "I jumped inter the river an' swam fer me life!" He looked round about him shaking one warning hand at them all, "Mark my words don't go up'in near Holycross, it's crused I tell ya, the good Lord sent demon's to punish the likes of the towns folk fer their sins."  
  
"Did one of them have only one eye?" Sara demeaned grabbing the man by his filthy collar.  
  
The old man wasn't off put by this gesture; he thought she was caught up in the fear of his story. "Aye lass! One big glowin' yellow eye!" He got back onto his own chair and pratically poked out his own eye in a wild gesture to it. "Lookin' as the devil 'isself he was! Litsen ter me! Don't go huntin' up 'ere lass, ye'll get yerself killed!" and with that said the man promptly passed out cold.  
  
"Been wonderin' when dat would happen." Kenny said eyeing the man's slumbering form.  
  
Sara downed the last from her flagon and turned to face everyone, "Well we have our information, and tomorrow we set out for Holycross in Tipperary. Now," She slapped her hands together, "let's enjoy the party!"  
  
Mina and Nemo stayed near the bar, while Tom, Sara and Skinner enjoyed the dancing. Jekyll rolled up his sleeves and sat in the shadows by the fire.  
  
Sawyer danced with all the pretty young Irish girls, all of who were impressed that he had come all the way from America. Skinner even danced with most of the woman while the fiddlers went on playing, his white greasepaint giving him a mysterious edge enough to interest them. Jekyll however stayed near to the shadow, he had been offered to dance but never accepted.  
  
"'Scuse me luv," Skinner said tapping Sara on the shoulder while she twirled around her skirts flying about her like a fire, "May I have this dance?" He held out his gloved hand and she accepted with her own. They danced and twirled for a whole song, not really dancing in particular, just swinging about in each other's arms, both enjoying themselves thoroughly. Then she saw Jekyll sitting in his shadowed corner.  
  
"Skinner," She asked as the twirled around, "has Henry danced at all?"  
  
He glanced behind his shoulder at Jekyll, "I dun think so, he never really seemed the dancin' sort to me." He shrugged it off.  
  
"I'm going to see if he will dance, he doesn't look to happy with himself." She let go of Skinner and, as she made her way through the other dancers she heard Skinner say to a particularly young and pretty girl,  
  
"Why yes luv', I came all this way from London herself, jus' to meet a girl like you." She couldn't help but laugh, that was one of the worst lines she'd ever heard.  
  
"Henry," she called when she made it through the gantlet of dancers unscathed.  
  
He looked up to see Sara standing before him, the firelight dancing on her face and in her eyes. Her face was a bit red from the heat but her soft brown hair fell on her face softly, she really did look lovely, a thought said in his mind.  
  
"Aren't you going to dance a little, I've even seen Mina dance with one man." She came a bit closer to him putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"No, I've never been much of a dancer." He said, he could feel a blush creeping up his neck, though it could have just been the heat.  
  
"Oh come one," She reached forward and grabbed his hand, "Dance with me?" She pulled him up beside her.  
  
"I don't know how." He said trying to get away before he looked like a fool, he didn't belong here, he knew it; he'd never like the crowds. But she was so lovely. One dance couldn't hurt, could it? His mind was racked with indecision.  
  
"I'll show you how." She grabbed his other hand and put it on her waist, he gulped, she still was holding the other had, and then she put a hand on his shoulder. "Like this," She said and they were off, she was leading at first, and then they both were in unison. "See this isn't so bad." She yelled over the other voices.  
  
"No it isn't." He said. "Though I don't suppose Hyde likes it."  
  
She tossed her head back and laughed. A smile came across his face as he watched the beautiful woman he held in his arms laugh at something he had said. Who would have thought? Then he to began to laugh, they laughed and danced for what seemed like hours, ignoring everyone else around them. They were in their own small world, the lights from the fire and streaming colors flashed by. It was just the two of them.  
  
Then Sara was thrown into him suddenly, as the crowd clustered in on them, she gasped at the sudden movement. At the first push she caught Jekyll around the neck with both arms, trying not to fall, she had to lean up a little because of the tip, then at the second push she was thrown directly onto him, and they kissed for the first time. It happed so quickly neither of them had time to think, they just locked lips for the briefest second. They both came away looking shocked. Sara's face burned a bright crimson.  
  
"I'm sorry!" She gasped and let go of him, "I didn't mean to it was the crowd." No one had seen that, Skinner and Sawyer both had their backs turned, and Mina and Nemo were both a ways away, at the front of the pub. She glanced around embarrassed checking to make sure.  
  
Then with surprising boldness, Jekyll kissed her again this time on purpose, and Sara was the one more surprised. The kiss lasted long and was filled with undeniable meaning. Sara recovered from her shock and kissed him back a little more forcefully. They broke away soon, searching each other's eyes. Sara grinned wildly. "I didn't know you had it in you." She said her eyes dancing.  
  
"Neither did I." Jekyll said grinning back shyly.  
  
"SARA!" Came Kenny's voice from the front of the pub, and she looked away from him still smiling, "Play us a tune!" And then once again the barmaid appeared out of nowhere and handed her an old violin. Sara looked at it awkwardly the brought it up to her chin.  
  
A circle had formed around her and the rest of the music stopped, to hear her play. She took a deep breath and began. The music began soft and melancholy at first then slowly picked up with more voice and vigor, soon it was a full out jig, the music seemed to fill the building like a breeze sweeping by refreshingly. Sara had closed her eyes and was lost in her music. The song itself was not very hard, in fact it was a very common song, but she seemed to fill it with her energy, her very soul. She swayed gently while she played as if she longed to dance to it.  
  
Then from the back a voice that was unmistakably Mina's. The song she sang like a crystal bell harmonizing with Sara's playing, a path cleared and Mina came to stand side by side. They were so different these two women. Mina a straight and tall proper, posh woman, wearing a high class red dress to match her carefully styled hair auburn, who sang like an angel on her way to the pearly gates. Then Sara, a wild woman, wearing many clashing, vibrant colored skirts, her soft brown hair pulled back in a messy braid, except for the strands that clung to her sweaty face, she played her violin like a fairy tale musician playing for the wee folk keeping the monsters at bay. But they did have that in common, both were dangerous creatures of the night holding the dark secrets of their past beneath their smooth surfaces. At the song's finish and they both sang, their voices became one.  
  
The room erupted in applause for both of the woman, two clasped hands a bowed. They both looked at each other with a neutral agreement that they were both all right. Sara glanced to Jekyll who was clapping with great enthusiasm, a bright grin on his face. He really was handsome when he smiled. Mina followed her gaze, and realized what had happened. Sara oblivious, bowed again. 


	8. Where the dead live forever

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it at all!!!  
  
A/N: There is a slight bit of fluffy-ness ahead, not too bad though. Thank you all my reviewers. Glad to see there is a werewolf hidden amongst you lot as well. ^_~  
  
Chapter eight, Where the dead live forever.  
  
Mina and Sara settled down for the night in the giant down bed that was sitting in the middle of the room. Sara had managed to finagle three rooms out of Kenny, so everyone had to double up, the women in one room, Skinner and Sawyer in one and then Nemo and Jekyll in the last.  
  
Sara sighed and fell back down onto the bed, her body causing the soft down to sag a little. She put her arms behind her head and looked back at Mina, who was sitting on the small stool in front of the even smaller vanity desk. Kenny and his family throughout the generations had made everything in this room. He was immensely proud of it, no matter how disproportioned some of it was. Mina hummed a little as she combed through her hair carefully. She had slipped into a silk nightgown she had brought with her.  
  
Sara on the other hand, was wearing long white cotton one that she had picked up a year ago. The straps were maybe three finger lengths wide, and the top clung to her chest, but the waist opened out flowing around her, it looked more like something one would wear under a dress like a slip. She felt a little envious of the other woman, she was elegant and beautiful, and why would Jekyll choose her over Mina.  
  
Maybe he didn't, maybe she wouldn't have him and you're just the rebound. A sadistic voice said in her mind.  
  
No Jekyll would never do that, he's a good man.  
  
But he's still a man they don't care either way as long as they have something. You're an animal never forget that.  
  
She smiled and hugged herself tight. Not for long, soon this will be over.  
  
No it won't, the voice said and sounded terrifyingly like a child's taunting voice, You are going to get them all killed Sara and you know it, don't try to hide it.  
  
"What's the matter Sara?" Mina asked setting down the brush, she looked at Sara's vacantly worried expression, somewhat worried herself.  
  
Sara looked up with a startling expression of surprise; she sat up and turned to face her, "Oh nothing, just thinking." She drew up her knees and felt once again like a child, she scowled and stretched out again. She was thirty after all. It was time to act her age.  
  
Mina got up and rested on the bed beside her, she turned to face Sara, her cool green eyes locking onto the other woman pale brown ones. "You were thinking about Henry weren't you?"  
  
Sweet Holy Mary Mother of Jesus! She knew! "N-no, what ever gave you that idea?"  
  
"I've seen the way you regard him, you forget while the other men may not have guessed, I have. I was married once myself you know, and I know that look."  
  
Sara silently crossed herself, she just suspected. "I don't want to talk of this." So much for acting her age, she sounded like a child. "I'm going for a walk the fresh air will do me some good."  
  
"In your night clothes?" Mina asked slightly appalled by the though of doing something so unorthodox.  
  
"I have been out in less than this before." She grinned and stepped towards the window. She was thinking more on her transformations than actual outings, but it was basically the same.  
  
Mina stepped forward and placed a hand on Sara's arm, for a moment Sara thought the vampire was going to stop her, but then she smiled, "Go after him Sara."  
  
Sara's grinned to match the other woman's, "I plan to." She said and slid out the window and onto the roof. She crouched down, watching her hand and foot holds with care. The shingles were falling as it already was, she didn't want to chance 'bringing down the house' as it were.  
  
Slowly creeping down one foot at a time, she walked down the roof. From her vantage point she gazed at her surroundings, there was the forest to her immediate front the trees looking forebodingly dark. There were open fields that once were full of crops. They all had been harvested for the fall, leaving the earth smooth, and the rocky roads to her back. To her left though, a small cobbled bridge that lead into the forest. Fog blanketed most of the land. The moon was barely there, for that, at least, she was thankful.  
  
A forest run would be too risky, she decided, looking at the trees branches like the welcoming arm of a lover. She would lose herself and end up in God knows where if she went in now. I'll just walk to the bridge; the running water will cool my head, she decided. She turned her back on the woods, but she could feel the metaphorical 'gaze' on her back, her legs ached with longing, she wanted to run, to hunt, to be free. NO! Her mind screamed and the feeling was gone, but it still buzzed in her head like an insect.  
  
She crept left slowly, the farther she got the thicker the fog, she concentrated trying to become one with her surroundings, she didn't realize it yet but she was loosing her self, she sniffed the air, it smelled wet from the fog, and she smelled flesh, human flesh. Carefully she bounded from the roof, bending her knees to absorb the shock of the landing as she did. She crouched low to the ground and began to stalk forward, the smell of flesh getting closer, then she heard water, and her head cleared.  
  
Must be the fog, she thought angrily. She stood straight and the cool fall breeze picked up and sent her hair eastward, her nightgown whipped about her trying to follow her hair. She took a tentative step forward, and realized she'd reached the bridge, as she felt to smooth, cool stone beneath her bare feet.  
  
Jekyll stood up and straight from where he was leaning on the railing as he heard the soft padding of feet on stone. He'd decided to take a walk, he couldn't sleep, Nemo hadn't questioned his leaving the room after he'd said he'd needed air, Nemo knew that he always had a bottle of his serum on him, just in case. After much contemplation he decided the bridge was the best place to be, the sound of the babbling river cleared his head so that Hyde would not bother him too much. He could not sleep, not because of Hyde, but because he had too much on his mind. Mostly it was Sara.  
  
She had kissed him, and he'd kissed her. 'What now?', was his main thought. He had feelings for the woman, not just lust but true feelings. One might even say it was love. But what did he know of these matters, he was a bubbling doctor, he'd never had time for anything like this.  
  
He'd never wanted to get too close to anyone, when he thought he'd found someone he'd have liked to share his life with; he had let the opportunity fly by him time and time again. Just like Mina, a sadistic voice that surprisingly wasn't Hyde said. No, Mina wasn't this kind of feeling. Mina had been lust and nothing more. But Sara, she understood him, and he her, she didn't think him a monster. She had even told Hyde off for calling him a worm. Not that Hyde had listened.  
  
The sound of footsteps grew closer and he looked up.  
  
Speak of the devil; Hyde said inside his mind, I think I'll leave you alone to this, worm. And the voice of Hyde was gone, which left Jekyll more than a bit offset.  
  
Jekyll saw what Hyde had meant as the windswept form of Sara came into view. Her white nightgown was billowing into the wind, hugging her generous form tightly on one side, and her hair swept back from her face in a cascade flowing onto the wind. He gulped at the sight of her. She wasn't really looking in his direction. She was gazing over the side of the bridge at the water rushing by, taking one slow step after another, as if the whole world was going to fall out from under her feet. He could hear her humming as if the wind itself was carrying it to him; it was the same song she had played earlier this night.  
  
She turned her head slightly and gazed lazily about, then she saw him standing there looking at her and her lips formed an O.  
  
"Hello Henry." She said and began walking in his direction, "what are you doing out here?"  
  
"Thinking." He said, tearing his gaze away from her.  
  
"Ah, yes," She said and leaned over the side of the bridge so that her forearms were propped on the cool stone and gazed down to the water, "we are two of the same mind then?"  
  
He looked at her slowly trying to figure out what she meant, and then realized she had come out to think as well. "Y-yes I suppose we are." He then noticed the gooseflesh on her bare arms and realized for the first time she must be cold out here in the autumn air. He removed his jacket and placed it onto her shoulders gently. She turned her head around and looked at him surprised, her large brown eyes gazing at him quizzically. Then she smiled and nodded at him thankfully. "I thought you might be cold. You are out here in your nightclothes after all. You might catch a cold if your not too careful." He babbled on not quite sure what to say, so he said anything that came to mind, with out thinking.  
  
Sara got up and turned to face him, his coat draped over her shoulders. "Henry." She said, but when she said it, he just started babbling more, "Henry." She said a little more forcefully, but he didn't stop, he reached into his coat pocket, and took out his watch and began fiddling it out of nervous habit. Sara took a step forward and snatched it out of his hands before he could stop her.  
  
"You're going to wear a hole in this." She said, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He looked shocked. She smiled, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, full and passionately.  
  
His initial shock wore off fast, and he pressed his lips down onto hers gently, wrapping his arms around her waist, his coat fell from her shoulders and fell across his arms, leaving her shoulders bare, he was suddenly aware of how little she really had on. She backed up into the side of the bridge, pinned between it and his body. The watch fell from her grasp and hit the stone with a clank, neither of them noticed.  
  
Their kiss deepened, her body pressed against his, molding to him, fitting him exactly, like she knew every inch of him. And God, he wanted her too, but he was too much of a gentleman for that, at least now, anyways.  
  
They broke away breathless, but she did not take her arms away from his shoulders. She just stood there holding him close. Sara rested her head on his chest, and listened to his heart. He moved his arms up and put the coat around her again, and he pulled her a little closer towards him, and her wrapped his arms tight around her slim frame protectively, breathing softy into her hair. Sara realized then that what she held now in her arms was what she had been wanting for so long.  
  
She began to cry silently, tears running down her face, she sagged against his body and he supported her, all the years of pain, humiliation, and roaming fell down her face as she stood there in his arms.  
  
"I love you." He whispered to her, his head resting on her hair.  
  
She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, he looked down shocked onto her; he hadn't realized she had been crying. "What's wrong?" He asked suddenly afraid it was something he had done.  
  
"Nothing," she said, her tears stopped at his words, her eyes weren't even red, there was no indication she'd been crying save for the two trails the tears had left. "I love you too, Henry." She said and kissed him lightly. "I really do." She leaned her head back onto his chest and sighed, "Will you just stay with me a while, and hold me?" She asked tentatively.  
  
"Of course." He said, and meant it. He'd be happy to stay here with her here forever if she asked him to. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small twinge of fear said that if he let go of her now, she might crumble like dust and scatter to the winds, and he would to. What ever happened after this would never be the same.  
  
Sara didn't notice she felt safe in this man's arms. It was the first time in a long while she could say that. It didn't matter that tomorrow they'd all be on their way to Holycross, Tipperary. All that mattered was she was here now, and she could feel Jekyll in her arms, hear his heart beat, and his warm breath on her hair, that was all that really mattered to her. 


	9. Hope never dies

Death comes in packs.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't, there I've said it.  
  
A/N: Thank you all who reviewed for my story! I love you all sooo much! And everyone must see that new mover coming out in September called Underworld, about the werewolves and vampires. I think it'll be great! ^__^  
  
Chapter nine, Hope never dies.  
  
The morning was crisp and cool, as the League trudged out of the Homestead Inn's red door. All of them were still groggy even in the crisp, early morning air that should have woken even the most tired of people, but the League had more on their sleepy minds than the craving of more rest. The whispering danger to east clouded their mind like a fog. No one wanted to wake fully to the realization that these few days ahead could be their last.  
  
All that is, with the exception for Nemo, who seemed to never let down his prefix of perfection. His body was a machine running at optimum efficacy, and until he was too old to walk, it would always be this way. He'd learned that this way was the easiest and no one would ever convince him otherwise.  
  
Sara placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. She loved the early mornings, and hated the fact that she was never awake enough to enjoy them. A light fog wisped about their ankles as the walked across the, glistening dew covered lawn to the woods to retrieve the automobile.  
  
They found it where they had left it, about one hundred feet into the tree line, the dew glistened off the metal and plastic giving the white mobile a some what angelic look to it. Angelic or not they'd still be crammed into it for most of the day.  
  
One after the other the League pilled into the automobile, Sawyer and Mina sat up in the long front seat this time with Nemo. Sara, Jekyll, and Skinner piled into the back in that order.  
  
Skinner wasted no time in promptly falling back to sleep snoring loudly, it was after all 'the ungodly hour of four in the morning', as he said it. He hadn't bothered with his greasepaint yet, they'd be spending most of the day in the car, Sawyer and Nemo alternating driving while the rest of them sat around trying to amuse themselves in small talk, or lost in deep thought.  
  
Sara yawned widely as she rested her head against the window, she may as well get some sleep as well, no telling what was waiting for them at Holycross. The air outside cooled the pane of glass she rested her warm forehead on, it felt nice, she thought dreamily, as she fell into sleep.  
  
Jekyll glanced helpless at those surrounding him, Skinner and Sara were both asleep, and Sawyer was in deep conversation with Mina and Nemo over the possibilities for the automobile in the future.  
  
Jekyll personally thought this would branch out into a new wave of technology he couldn't even begin to imagine, nor would he live to see. A depressing thought really. He stifled a yawn himself, he was so dreadfully tired, and he glanced to Sara's sleeping form.  
  
She was curled up into the seat as best she could, using her arms as a make- shift pillow, her hair spread across her shoulders. She had dawned her accustomed multi-colored skirts again, they were bunched around her legs in a tangled rainbow, and the two black leather triangles that were her boots peaked out of the colors in contrast.  
  
He smiled down at her. He really did love her.  
  
You're playing with fire Henry, Hyde's voice said inside his mind, surprisingly mild. What do you think she is going to do after you kill the head werewolf? Hm? After she's killed him, she will have no use for you, or the rest of the league.  
  
H-how do you know? Jekyll's shaky voiced asked.  
  
She's not the type of girl to hang around, just look at her Henry, and take her whole appearance in. Jekyll had already he knew her face by heart; he didn't need Hyde nagging him about it. She's got gypsy blood in her. Their not the sort to just settle down.  
  
Yes, but--  
  
Just you wait, Henry, just you wait. The voice of Hyde was silent.  
  
Sara murmured a little in her sleep, no one notice but him, she curled into a tighter, smaller ball and her face tightened as if she were having a nightmare. Tentatively he put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped murmuring and her hand reached up to find his, grasping it tightly like a drowning man's lifeline to shore.  
  
Mina's head turned just the smallest bit and, for the life of him, it looked like she winked at him. Good God! Did she know?!? She smiled a slight bit and was off into the conversation once again, something about a Henry Ford in America patenting a 'Truck'. She does know! Came a dawning realization. Did Sara tell her, or had she figured it out on her own.  
  
'Women!', was his exasperated thought. He leaned back into his seat trying to get comfortable, he reached into his threadbare pocket for his watch, but it wasn't there. He looked again to Sara and saw that she had his watch dangling from her broad leather belt. He could have sworn it wasn't there before. She had a smile on her face and was still holding his hand tightly. It didn't look like she had moved at all.  
  
He slouched down, and left himself drift to sleep, for the first time in a long while, with a smile on his face. She was full of secrets. He thought and began to drift to sleep.  
  
Hyde's voice floated across his subconscious, some worse than others, his gruff not quite human voice said. Jekyll however didn't hear, he had fallen asleep and had no intention of waking up until they had reached their destination, and what ever awaited them there.  
  
**A few hours later**  
  
"We have arrived." Nemo's voice boomed from the front. It had been his hour to drive when they arrived at Holycross, a small town; encompassed entirely by woods on all sides.  
  
The buildings were crammed together as if huddling for safety. All the doors and windows were shut allowing the League to view the different shapes of red warding off danger. The automobile clanked over the carefully tended cobble stone roads that lead through the town's circle. They drove a little ways out of the building nearer to the forest and passed the rubble of the ancient Holycross church, the old steeple still rising straight and tall defiantly reaching for the heavens, its cross still gleamed in the light of the fading sun. Nemo stooped just short of the old abbey bridge, and they all filled one by one out and trudged solemnly to the town.  
  
"Quite a 'how do you do' eh?" Skinner said as they walked into the town circle. He surveyed the closed doors and windows disdainfully.  
  
Sara sniffed the air cautiously, "They are afraid." She said, "The sun is about to set."  
  
"Well I can see that but why-" The group turned on him as if they were trying to melt his head wit their minds. "Oh yeah that's right, night is creepy crawly things go bump." He smiled sheepishly, "I've been sleeping most of the day."  
  
In the middle of the town's center there was a crud wooden cross, craved so hastily that the wooden ends were knobby and a few twigs still clung to it from were they had not been striped smooth. Tied off of it three bones that were tied by red ribbons to the cross, they swayed ominously in the cool breeze that promised that night.  
  
"They lost three to the pack." Sara said observing the cross. "This us to warn travelers that their town had been 'infected' so to speak. They did this in my village when it was attacked."  
  
"So we have some too late?" Nemo asked his eyes darkened at anger, one of the bones was too small to be an adult's. It was a child's rib bone. It was common knowledge that werewolves turned to pick off children more than an adult, but the thought made the group's stomachs turn.  
  
"No, these are fairly new. I don't think that the pack will have left quite yet. If we act quickly, Nemo, this may be resolved tonight."  
  
"We can only hope so." He said solemnly.  
  
"So what now?" Skinner asked stepping in.  
  
They stood and thought about it for a moment before Sara said, "We should split into pair and search the most likely places the pack has been."  
  
"And where would that be?" Mina asked.  
  
"The farms on the outskirts of town, up and down the river banks and the ruins of the old monastery, those would be the most likely places. Food, water, and shelter." She ticked off the reasons on her fingers.  
  
Sawyer looked to the woods that were visible even in their current position. "What if they are just out there in the woods?" He asked, "Just like any other animals."  
  
"They're getting bolder." Jekyll's timid voice said, "Or at least that is what Hyde says."  
  
Mina smiled and nodded, "I think he is right about that. My own instinct tells me as much."  
  
"That's right. From what I gathered, HE gets bolder and bolder with every town he goes through. He's probably close even now."  
  
Nemo looked around and estimated the distance from one end of the town to another, "I suggest that we do split into pairs, as Sara suggested, and meet back here hourly."  
  
No one had any objections so they split into their pairs, Nemo and Skinner decided to search the farmlands, Mina and Sawyer the river, and Sara and Jekyll the ruins of the monastery. 


End file.
